As part of the 14th Belfast Film Festival, I was lucky enough to attend a very special live concert of the music of Patrick Doyle, hosted by the BBC at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.

The occasion marked the 25th anniversary of the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Patrick and Sir Ken, when Belfast’s own bard formed The Renaissance Theatre Company. They began touring, coming back to tread Belfast’s boards three times, never forgetting to help the arts in Ken’s home town. Within three years, their long history of on screen collaborations began, with Branagh’s triumph, Henry V, composed by Patrick Doyle. Over the course of the evening, we were treated to a great pre-concert talk with an ebullient Patrick (who last year received the Henry Mancini award for outstanding achievements in film music), during which he treated us to a world exclusive sneak preview of his Ballroom composition for Branagh’s upcoming Disney Cinderella adaptation. Then, the Ulster Orchestra, accompanied by the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and featuring performances by actors Fiona Shaw and Michael Maloney, treated us to a great selection of the man’s works. As there is no footage of the event, I have clips below from most of the works performed. But first, as on the night, a special message from Hollywood from a very funny and self-deprecating Sir Kenneth Branagh: